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Awix (3310 KP) rated Highlander (1986) in Movies

Feb 12, 2018 (Updated Feb 12, 2018)

Highlander (1986)

1986 | Action, Adventure, Fantasy

7.6

(80 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Cult fantasy movie which kind of flopped on its initial release but spawned a franchise which seemed to go on forever (and may not in fact be completely defunct). Scottish highlander (played by a Frenchman) discovers he is immortal; is mentored by ancient Egyptian immortal (played by a Scotsman); must do battle with rival Russian immortal (played by an American) to decide the destiny of the world.

Pretty much as goofy as it sounds, but very likeable - strives for a sort of mythic grandeur, doesn't quite manage it. None of the battles in the story are quite as brutal as the one between Christopher Lambert and the English language, but Sean Connery is having fun; some decent fight choreography too. Benefits immensely from the Queen soundtrack.

Kudos

Ross (3284 KP) rated Bottleneck in Books

Jul 16, 2018

Bottleneck

Ed James | 2015 | Crime

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Excellent pacing to the next Cullen adventure. A body is discovered in the hidden streets underneath Edinburgh's old town and the ensuing investigation leads them to investigate members of the Scottish music scene and venture North to Cullen's hometown of Dalhousie (loosely based on my own hometown of Carnoustie), and West to Glasgow.
The story also continues the ups and downs of Cullen's relationship with Sharon McNeill and his career aspirations, building on the previous books in the series.
This is quite a short and very pacey book that is a genuine page-turner (as the chapters are quite short it's always "one more chapter", until the cleaner gets angry at me spending too long on the toilet at work).

Kudos

themaxdog (14 KP) rated Highland Spring in Books

Jul 17, 2019

Highland Spring

Elizabeth Rose | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Romance

6.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Character Development (0 more)

Nothing Extra Special (0 more)

Spring is a feisty Scottish warrior woman and a refreshing change from the usual damsels in distress that permeate novels of this genre and period. However, once her father arranges her marriage to Shaw, laird of Edinvale Castle and her clan's sworn enemy, this young woman's life changes forever.

One of my favourite things about this story was Spring's character development. Throughout the story, she uncovers more and more of the truth and discovers what it truly means to belong along the way. Fun, romantic, and at times, steamy, this is a great starting point to delve into the world that author Elizabeth Rose has created.

Highland Spring is a quick, light read - perfect for keeping you busy on a rainy weekend!

Kudos

Deborah (162 KP) rated Dangerous Days in Elizabethan England: Thieves, Tricksters, Bards and Bawds in Books

Dec 19, 2018

Quite amusing in places, but there were some errors - Henry VIII's will did in fact reinstate Mary and Elizabeth and after that went for the descendants of younger sister Mary (the Greys) over older sister Margaret (the Scottish line). It was Edward's Device for the Succession which looked to overturn that.

There was some off-beat facts thrown in, but would have been nice to have some explanation too. It mentions a fine if you sold the meat of a Bull without it having been baited but doesn't explain why (this might have driven me mad, but I had just read Ruth Goodman's How to be a Tudor, which explains about how they believed this would tenderise the meat! I highly recommend the book!).